鹧鸪天.林断山明 Bamboo veils my wall from dark grove to clear hills.

鹧鸪天.林断山明（时谪黄州）

原作: 苏轼（字子瞻, 号东坡居士; 11世纪北宋）

英译修改:闵晓红(2023)

林断山明竹隐墙，乱蝉衰草小池塘。

翻空白鸟时时见，照水红蕖细细香。

村舍外，古城旁，杖藜徐步转斜阳。

殷勤昨夜三更雨，又得浮生一日凉。

Bamboo veils my wall from dark grove to clear hills.

—   to the tune “ Francolin Sky”

Chinese original by: Su Shi (11^th Century)

English version by: Julia Min ( Feb. 2023)

Bamboo veils my wall from dark grove to clear hills.

By the pool, in drooping grass, a cicada trills.

White birds wheel through the air, far and near.

Lotus blush in the mirror, a scent subtle and fair.

Past the old village, outside the ancient town,

My cane moves slowly as the sun goes down.

How thoughtful was the rain that fell last night,

To add another cool day to this fleeting life of mine.

Appreciation:

This ci poem, composed by Dongpo in early autumn 1083, captures a moment of sensory and spiritual cleansing after a rain shower. It emphasises the intimacy of this “sensory cleansing” by focusing on the observer’s singular, lived experience.

Artistic and philosophical themes: Rich in country imagery and shaped by Taoist ideas, the poem suggests that true magic and fulfilment can be found in ordinary, everyday scenes.

Sensory imagery: The poet guides our eyes and ears through the landscape, from the “bamboos veiling my wall from dark grove to clear hills” to the “cicada trills in drooping grass” and the vivid “blush” of lotuses reflected in the water. That small, persistent sound of a single cicada shifts the mood: in the quiet around it, we feel a moment of stillness and clarity — a reminder that “true magic” can lie in the smallest, most ordinary details.

Transience and ease: The slow cane and unhurried steps evoke a deliberate, relaxed pace, the gait of someone who has made peace with change and difficulty. This calm movement through the countryside reflects a philosophical acceptance that softens the poet’s personal struggles.

From universal to personal: In the final two lines, the scene turns inward. Like Wordsworth and, in another medium, Monet, Su Shi lets a “rich country scene” reflect truth back to the self. The thoughtful night rain becomes a gift, gracing this fleeting life with one more day of cool delight. In that brief ease, the world’s beauty and the poet’s own journey quietly meet.

Reference:

Blooming Alone in Winter by Gordon Osing, Julia Min and Huang Haipeng， published by the People's Publication House Henan Province in 1990 (《寒心未肯随春态》戈登. 奥赛茵，闵晓红，黄海鹏) (By walls hidden in bamboo I see past groved hills,/And I hear the tiny racket of cicadas in the withered weeds by the pool./Over and over, I see a white bird rising into the sky./Sweet lotus blooms look down to see themselves perfectly.//Walking past the village houses outside an old town,/My cane goes slowly and I turn to the setting sun./How kind and thoughtful was last midnight’s rain/To make my temporary life quite full again.)

2. Picture by ChatGPT;

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